Building-block and wall constructed thereof.



No. 826,388. PATENTED'JULY'N, 1906.

A.'O. THOMAS. BUILDING BLOCK AND WALL GONSTRUUTED THEREOF.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16,1905.

Altameys UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

BUILDING-BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTED THEREOF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed September 16,1905. Serial No. 278,746.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS O. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kearney, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building-Blocks andWalls Constructed Thereof, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in building-blocks and wallsconstructed thereof.

The object of the invention is the provision of a block, preferably ofconcrete, to be used for building purposes, which'by reason of itsconfiguration may be molded with facility and with a minimum consumptionof mate rial.

When assembled in a building-wall, the blocks by reason of their formand shape create vertical and longitudinal passages or airshafts withinthe wall for the proper ventilation thereof, and the shafts also serveto insulate the interior of the building against heat or cold or frommoisture of the exterior atmosphere.

The blocks consist, essentially, of an integral member comprising a baseand two extensions projecting from the ends thereof, the extensionsbeing in parallel planes and the base portion forming an obliqueconnection between the extensions.

I have illustrated two forms of the physical embodiment of the blocks,and the drawings show three of the different styles of walls which maybe erected from the assembled blocks.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a corner portion of abuilding-wall constructed of blocks involving the novel features of thisinvention. Fig. 2 is -a perspective view of the construction illustratedin Fig. 1, one course of blocks shown lifted above another for clearerillustration. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of awall composed ofblocks similar to those of Fig. 1, but arranged to form two series ofvertical passages or air-shafts in the wall, there being provided theinner and outer faces of the wall and an intermediate partition orsection. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the construction shown in Fig.3. Fig. 5 is an inner perspective view of the construction embodied inFig. 1. Fig. 6 is a top plan of a portion of an interior wall orpartition used in buildin construction, illustrating a mode of assemling the blocks. Fig. 7

is a top plan view of one of the blocks, and Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of one of the blocks illustrated in Fig. 6.

The block consists, essentially, of three integral members, the base 1and the extensions 2 and 3. As illustrated in the drawings, the blocksand the different portions thereof may be varied in dimensions toconform to the construction of wall desired.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the blocks areassembled to form a wall with three series of vertical air spaces orshafts, as 4 4 4, the inner and outer blocks,

the portions 2 of which form the interior andexterior faces of the wall,as A and B, respectively, are laid in reversed positions, thus bringingthe rightangled corners 5 and 6 of members 2 into contact to form aclear-cut and sightly locking-joint. Because of this reversed positionof the inner and outerblocks in the wall the extensions 3 of the blockslaterally project beyond or overla each other; but the dimensions of thebloc s are so determined as to have the extensions stop short ofcontacting with the base portion of the adjoining block, thus creating aseries of airspaces 7, which communicate with the series of spaces orshafts 4 and spaces 7 between the bases 1.

The end of the extension 3 is cut off at an angle, as at 8, to conformto the line of the oblique base 1. This construction forms a uniform andcontinuous series of vertical passages or shafts through the wall frombottom to top and a second series of shafts forming an obliquecommunication between the adj acent vertical shafts or passages. Thus asinuous air-space is provided extending through out the length of thewall from bottom to top and forms an insulation against heat or cold ormoisture from the exterior of the building.

In some instances it is desirable to construct the wall in the mannerillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. This construction embodies an inner andouter section, formin the interior and exterior faces of the wal and themembers or extensions 3 of the blocks as assembled form an interruptedintermediate sectionC. As in the first example, the blocks are locatedin reversed position with relation to each other; but the members 3 arelocated in the same parallel plane, forming air spaces or shafts 9 ateach side of the section C. Preferably the ends of the members 3 do notcontact, but are cutoff square, as at 10, forming the space or shaft 11,which provides communication between the air-spaces 9.

For the formation of interior walls or partitions in buildings theblocks are assembled as shown in Fig. 6. Here the extension 3 isapproximately one-half the length of the extension 2, and the members 2and 3 are arranged alternately on each side of the partition, and theconformation of the blocks forms alternately a short air-passage 12 anda longer passage 13, the bases 1 of the adjoining blocks forming the endwalls of the passages, and the extensions 2 2and 3 3 al ternatelybounding the spaces at the sides.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,it becomes obvious that I have produced a building-block and wallconstructed therefrom which fulfil the conditions set forth as thepurposes and objects of the invention. The air spaces or shafts betweenthe faces of the walls insulate the interior of the building fromatmospheric conditions on the exterior of the building.

The shape of the block and the manner in which it is made givesopportunity for producing attractive effects, and the blocks re quiresimple and inexpensive machinery to manufacture them.

While I have illustrated and described several of thephysical-embodiments of the invention, it will be understood thatchanges and alterations or modific ations may be made at will, providedthey fall within the scope of my claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A wall composed of a plurality of blocks having two parallel portionsconnected by a diagonal portion, one of said parallel portions of eachof said blocks lying upon the face of the wall and the other of saidparallel portions lying inside the faces of the wall and terminatinshort of each other.

2. A building-wall formed of a plurality of blocks, each of said blockscomprising a pair of parallel members connected by a diagonal member,one of said parallel members having right-angled ends and the other ofsaid parallel members having a diagonal end substantially parallel withthe diagonal connecting member, the last-named parallel members being ofsuch length as to terminate short of the adjacent block.

3. A building-block comprising a pairof parallel side members connectedby a diagonally-disposed member, one of said members extending in onedirection from one end of said diagonally-disposed member and the otherof said side members extendingin the opposite direction from the otherend=of said diagonally-disposed members, the inside surfaces of saidside membersbeing in an.unin-' terrupted plane throughouttheirllinearextent-and the surface of said diagonally-disposed memberbeing in an uninterrupted plane throughout their lineal extent andformin obtuse angles with the inside surfaces of said side members.

4. A wall-constructed ofslayersof blocks arranged in horizontal planes,.each block consisting of an obliquely+disposed baseportion, andparallel extensions projecting therefrom in opposite directions, theextensions of the block alternately forming a face of :the wall and anintermediate section thereof, said extensions being so proportioned thatthey abut one another at their adjacent ends throughout the linealextent of thewall but are in relatively spaced relationin.the.intermediate section thereof.

5. A building-block, comprisinga pair of parallel side membersconnected-by .a' diagonally-disposed member, one of saidmembersextending in one directionfrom-oneend of said diagonally-disposed memberand the other of said side members .extendin in the opposite directionfromtheother eni ofsaid diagonally-disposed member, the longitudinalplane of said diagonally-disposed-member following the samedirectionthroughoutiits length and forming'obtuse angles with thelongitudinal plane of said sidemembers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS O. THOMAS.

Witnesses W. W BARNEY, V50. CHASE.

